Archive: Sascha Gerbracht
Chathura's New Life
A new life has begun for Chathura Madhushanka and his dad, K.M. Sarath. Chathura lost his mom and sister to the 2004 tsunami, but on June 9 gained a new family when his dad married Chamari Nisansala, 20. He also...
By washingtonpost.com | September 28, 2005; 07:27 AM ET | Comments (9)
A Slight Tsunami Scare...
Around 11 p.m. Sunday, July 24, the news hit Sri Lanka: an earthquake near the Andaman and Nicobar islands. When Thailand started evacuation procedures, the people of Weligama became restless. Some of them immediately moved to higher ground. But others...
By washingtonpost.com | July 29, 2005; 04:06 AM ET | Email a Comment
Sewage Woes
Six months have gone by since the tsunami, and the people of Weligama are complaining about the stench. The sewage system -- a network of open canals leading to the sea -- became filled up when debris from the tsunami...
By washingtonpost.com | June 28, 2005; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Tsumami Trauma
Six months have gone by since the tsunami, but memories of what happened on Dec. 26, 2004, are still very fresh and raw here. The mention of the word "tsunami" can send a shockwave of fear through the normally quiet...
By washingtonpost.com | May 25, 2005; 08:46 AM ET | Email a Comment
Monsoon Season
The monsoon season is underway, with its heavy winds and long rain showers. It has made life more miserable for tsunami victims who haven't been able to find homes of their own and are living in Weligama's temporary camps. For...
By washingtonpost.com | May 19, 2005; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Waiting for Nets
I went to find Sujith Nambukara, the fisherman who lost his wife and child during the tsunami and he brought me up to date with his news. He has completed repair work on a boat that was given to him...
By washingtonpost.com | May 18, 2005; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Fear of Another Tsunami
We got the news around 11 o'clock in the evening. It spread like wildfire. The radio reported that an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale had happened near Sumatra. The president of Sri Lanka warned of an "impending disaster"...
By washingtonpost.com | March 30, 2005; 07:53 AM ET | Comments (11)
A New Bike
View Enlarged Photo and CaptionLife is looking up a little bit for Chathura Madhushanka, a 13-year-old boy who lost his mother and two siblings during the tsunami. For weeks after the tsunami, he hung out around the refugee camp, not...
By washingtonpost.com | March 28, 2005; 11:26 AM ET | Email a Comment
